With an increasing percentage of the population comprising elderly or infirm persons living alone, the demand for a means to monitor the well-being of these individuals has increased. Although periodic visits by other individuals, such as visiting nurses or family members, provide a measure of security, and while the telephone provides a means for summoning help in an emergency, many situations immediately come to mind whereby an incapacitating emergency, such as a fall, occurs between such visits and when an individual is located some distance away from their phone.
As a result of this problem, a number of service businesses have formed which provide a monitoring service for people living alone. Typically, a person, called a subscriber, wishing to be monitored, is supplied with a home communicator. The home communicator links the person's home either by telephone or radio with a central monitoring station. Also typically, the subscriber is provided with a small personal communicator which is worn by the subscriber and which is in radio communication with the home communicator. In the event of an emergency the subscriber need only press a button on the personal communicator to cause the home communicator to notify the central monitoring station that the subscriber requests help.
When the central monitoring station receives the help call from the home communicator, the central monitoring station then proceeds to call one or more individuals, called responders, who proceed to the subscriber's home to provide assistance. Once a responder has accepted the responsibility for the call, the central monitoring station typically ceases to be involved.